When it comes to knowing when it’s time to have your air ventilation system inspected and cleaned, many people may not be able to recognize the signs of a dirty system. Generally speaking, if you have no memory of the last time your system was cleaned, it’s probably been too long. A good rule of thumb is to have your home or office air ducts inspected and cleaned every two years. If you or someone else in your family has allergies, this period should be shortened to once a year or more often, if you feel that air problems in your home may be contributing to health problems for you or your family. Over 60 million people in North America suffer from some form of allergy, with children and the elderly being most affected by respiratory problems.

Many forms of mold, mildew and other bacteria can easily form in the dirt and dusty pollutants that form within the air ducts of your ventilation system. You also may start to notice that many people around you start to have headaches more often due to the poor air quality of an unclean air system.

Some indications that you may have a problem with your air duct system can include:

The air return grilles in your walls have a black fuzz of dust along the vanes

A layer of dust returns a few hours after you’ve dusted your home thoroughly

The filters in your air system have black dust on them

Dry and stuffy air throughout your home or office

Higher than normal utility bills due to poor heated air transfer

Heat registers on the floor have dirt and dust in them

Sneezing more frequently, especially after air starts to flow

More frequent cases of attacks in anyone with asthma in your home or office

If you do any sort of renovation work throughout your home, this can also have an effect on the way that your air ventilation and heating system works. If you are doing demolition work, the dust that becomes airborne will travel straight through your air duct system and may end up clogging your filter. It’s important that you are aware of the damage and health concerns that any renovation work can have on your air system. Even the simple act of painting can stir up a lot of dust that can have an effect on the way that your air system functions.

One of the first things you should do when you buy a new home is to have someone come in and inspect the air ventilation ducts for dust and other airborne contaminants. Because we spend an average of 75% of our lives indoors, the quality of the air we breathe should be of the utmost importance. Dirt, dust, animal dander and other airborne pollutants can have a marked effect on our health and the health of those around us. There have been some studies that have proven that levels of hazardous pollutants inside our homes and offices are sometimes 70 times higher than in the air outside.

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